Dead animals found in river

A bloated calf and a dog with a tyre rim around its neck found in a stream in Hihi, near Mangonui has prompted a resident to plead with people not to dump animals.

Hihi resident Cecelia Odell says around March 14 she noticed a calf in the water near the Taemaro Bridge.

‘‘The same week at the Reinhard Bridge further down the stream a pitbull type dog was found in the stream with a tyre rim around its neck.’’

Odell says people collect oysters, pipis and flounder where the stream flows out into nearby Butler Bay.

She says children also regularly swim in the area.

‘‘It’s just inhumane, we just want it to stop.

‘‘We want to draw it to the community’s attention that it has to stop.’’

Odell says that whoever dumped the animal carcasses must have gone to a lot of effort and the incidents have probably taken place at night as the roads are busy during the day.

‘‘It would be kinder to dig a hole and bury the animal and not put it in a public arena like that.

‘‘We are pleading people to stop and for others to keep an eye out for people who abuse the dignity of an animal and the environment in general.’’

With a school bus stop located near the site of where the calf was located, Odell says the act also doesn’t send a good message to children about how to treat animals.

The incidents reported to the SPCA.

SPCA Far North Region Centre Manager John Logie encourages the community to report potential animal abuse cases - even if the animal is deceased.

‘‘We don’t know the circumstances but we are really concerned if there had been possible cruelty.’’

He says if the organisation is contacted they can try to find out what happened.

Logie says the dog could have been microchipped which would help to track down the owner.

Logie says any evidence with potential prosecution cases for animal abuse is reviewed by the national office of the SPCA before a case is pursued.

‘‘Part of our role is to prosecute people for cruelty to animals.’’

Have you seen anything similar? What do you think? Email jenny.ling@fairfaxmedia.co.nz were not